Blog Elements - Affinity Translation

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Video Translation: Subtitles or Voiceover Dubbing

September 24, 2020

First off what’s meant by the words “video translation“? At our company when a customer asks about video translation it usually means they have existing video content that contains English, it could be on-screen text, or audio such as a narrator speaking throughout the video. In cases where there’s audio content in the form of […]

Official Document Translation

September 23, 2020

Video Translation: Subtitles or Voiceover Dubbing

September 24, 2020

Official Document Translation

September 23, 2020

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Video Translation: Subtitles or Voiceover Dubbing

September 24, 2020

In cases where there’s audio content in the form of spoken language there are essentially two choices for translating the spoken audio. One option is adding subtitles to the video, leaving in place the existing spoken language audio, placing written text in a designated target language at the bottom of the video. The other option is to record new audio content (voiceover) in the target language and then apply it to the video, replacing the original spoken audio.

Video Translation Using Subtitles

In the video example below note that the video’s English narration has Spanish subtitles applied.

To produce the above company overview video for our client we were provided only with the English language video and the instruction to add Spanish subtitles. The following steps then occurred:

A transcript of the English narration was prepared by listening to the speaker and writing down what’s spoken.
The written transcript was then assigned to a translator for translation.
The translated script was proofread by a second translator, both linguists being native Spanish speaking.
The subtitles were then applied to the video by a specialist video editor.

Video Translation Using Voiceover Dubbing and On-Screen Text Editing

In the example below note the video animation contains spoken instruction in English.

Below note that the English narration is replaced with a Vietnamese voiceover. The on-screen text is also translated.

The steps to achieve the Vietnamese translation version of the video are similar to the ones listed above except that subtitling is omitted, and a professional voiceover was recorded and then placed into the video animation. On-screen text was edited in the original application, in this case Adobe After Effects.

Official Document Translation

September 23, 2020

Translation clients seeking an “official translation” of a document are generally interested in translation services for an official purpose. It might range from a translation for submission to a government agency or possibly for a legal purpose. The words “official translation” have no widely recognized singular meaning. Any party requiring and official translation (or sworn translation, or certified translation, et. al.) can and should specify constitutes an official translation according to them. In the absence of a clear description of what’s considered official by a particular government agency or legal entity, those attempting to comply with the conditions of obtaining an official translation are left to guess.

For a “certified translation” below are two definitions according to the identified organizations:

1) A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting that the translation is accurate and complete to the best of the translator’s knowledge and ability. Any translator or translation company may certify a translation. -American Translator’s Association (ATA)

2) A formal statement in which a translator shows that they have accurately translated a foreign-language document into English. Any foreign language document must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and correct, and by the translator’s certification that they are competent to translate the foreign language into English. -USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)

So when the objective is to satisfy the translation requirements for a particular official purpose, it’s essential to ask for an explanation in plain terms about what’s required to meet the conditions of an official translation. Present this definition or description to prospective translation companies you’re considering and allow them to comment on their ability to meet the requirements.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Video Translation: Subtitles or Voiceover Dubbing

Official Document Translation

Video Translation: Subtitles or Voiceover Dubbing

Official Document Translation

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Video Translation: Subtitles or Voiceover Dubbing

Video Translation Using Subtitles

Video Translation Using Voiceover Dubbing and On-Screen Text Editing

Official Document Translation

Search This Site

Translation Services Buyers Guide